The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular season is officially in the books, and the 10 drivers who will battle for the 2026 championship have been decided.
Layne Riggs enters The Chase as the No. 1 seed, putting an exclamation point on a dominant regular season by winning Saturday’s Team EJP 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Riggs captured his sixth victory of 2026, leading 106 of 189 laps after the race went to double overtime.
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Behind Riggs, Kaden Honeycutt, Chandler Smith, Christian Eckes and Gio Ruggiero make up the rest of the top five. Ty Majeski, Grant Enfinger, Daniel Hemric, Ben Rhodes and Tyler Ankrum complete the championship field.
Riggs Enters as the Driver to Beat
It is hard to argue against Riggs being the championship favorite entering The Chase.
The Front Row Motorsports driver has been one of the most consistent drivers in the series all year, and his New Hampshire victory only strengthened his case. He started from the pole and survived a chaotic finish to beat teammate Chandler Smith by just 0.293 seconds, giving Front Row Motorsports a 1-2 finish.
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Riggs will begin The Chase with 2,100 points, giving him a 25-point advantage over second-seeded Honeycutt after the reset.
Honeycutt shouldn’t be overlooked, however. His late-season surge has made him one of the biggest threats to Riggs, and he’ll enter the postseason with plenty of momentum.
A Deep Championship Field
The field gets interesting behind the top two.
Chandler Smith has shown throughout the season that he can run with Riggs, and his runner-up finish at New Hampshire was another example. Christian Eckes enters fourth despite still searching for his first victory since returning to McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, while rookie Gio Ruggiero has earned his way into the top five.
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Former Truck Series champion Ty Majeski could also be a dangerous driver once The Chase begins. Grant Enfinger and Ben Rhodes bring plenty of postseason experience, while Daniel Hemric gives McAnally-Hilgemann Racing another championship contender.
Ankrum Survives Wild Cutoff Battle
The biggest drama at New Hampshire came around the final Chase position.
Tyler Ankrum entered the afternoon fighting Stewart Friesen and Jake Garcia for the last spot and then dealt with brake problems throughout the race. Friesen used a two-tire strategy to climb through the field and briefly moved ahead of Ankrum in the points.
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Ankrum ultimately survived, finishing 16th and securing the final Chase position by only seven points over Friesen. Garcia’s chances took a major hit after receiving a penalty for pitting outside his box during the Stage 2 break.
2026 Truck Series Chase Field
The championship battle now shifts to Bristol Motor Speedway on September 17, beginning a seven-race Chase that will determine the 2026 Craftsman Truck Series champion.
Riggs enters with the advantage, but with Honeycutt’s recent momentum, Smith’s speed and several proven veterans sitting behind them, the championship is far from decided.
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